Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Wiktionary
n. A double reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family that is pitched in F, a fifth lower than the oboe and is consequently approximately one-third longer than the oboe.
WordNet
n. a double-reed woodwind instrument similar to an oboe but lower in pitch [syn: English horn]
Wikipedia
The cor anglais (, or original ) or English horn in North America, is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family. It is approximately one and a half times the length of an oboe.
The cor anglais is a transposing instrument pitched in F, a perfect fifth lower than the oboe (a C instrument). This means that music for the cor anglais is written a perfect fifth higher than the instrument actually sounds. The fingering and playing technique used for the cor anglais are essentially the same as those of the oboe and oboists typically double on the cor anglais when required. The cor anglais normally lacks the lowest B key found on most oboes and so its sounding range stretches from E (written B natural) below middle C to C two octaves above middle C.
Usage examples of "cor anglais".
This had become painfully clear to them when at the age of four I had failed to distinguish between the notes of an oboe and a cor anglais.
Hastily she replaced them, and realised that indeed it was the earthquake, a musical portrait, and it was followed by a long lament on a plaintive instrument that was, although she did not know it, a cor anglais.